Does Kroger Own Bed Bath and Beyond: The Truth Behind The Viral Retail Rumor

If you’ve scrolled retail news or TikTok comment sections lately, you’ve almost certainly seen people asking: Does Kroger Own Bed Bath and Beyond. After years of chaotic retail bankruptcies, surprise brand acquisitions, and empty storefronts popping up across the country, shoppers can barely keep track of who owns their favorite stores anymore. This isn’t just useless trivia either—when brands change hands, it changes return policies, reward points, product selection, and even the price tags you see at checkout.

Over the last 18 months, this rumor has picked up steam as Kroger expanded beyond groceries and Bed Bath & Beyond returned from bankruptcy under new ownership. In this article, we’ll break down exactly what the ownership status is, where the rumor started, how both brands operate today, and what this might mean for your future shopping trips. We’ll also bust other related retail ownership myths that keep spreading online.

The Direct Answer You Came For

There’s a lot of conflicting information floating around social media and random forum threads, so let’s cut straight to the facts first. No, Kroger does not own Bed Bath & Beyond, and the grocery chain has never held any ownership stake in the home goods retailer at any point in either company’s history. This rumor gained traction due to overlapping timing of major business moves from both brands, rather than any actual official acquisition agreement or partnership.

Where Did This Ownership Rumor First Start?

This rumor didn’t pop up out of nowhere—it traces back to early 2023, right as Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. At that exact same time, Kroger was making national headlines for its proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons, and analysts were openly speculating that Kroger would start buying up failed retail brands to expand its footprint.

The rumor blew up on TikTok in April 2023 when one small retail creator made a 15 second video incorrectly stating Kroger had bought Bed Bath’s remaining assets. That video got over 2.1 million views in 72 hours, and no major fact checking accounts corrected it for almost three weeks. By that point, the claim had already spread to Facebook groups, Reddit, and even local news comment sections.

There were three specific events that made the claim feel believable to most shoppers:

• Kroger began testing small home goods departments in 127 stores that same month
• Bed Bath & Beyond closed over 360 locations within a 6 week window
• Multiple former Bed Bath employees were hired for Kroger’s new home goods teams

None of these events were connected, but they happened so close together that casual observers connected the dots incorrectly. Even today, new versions of this rumor pop up every time Kroger announces a new product line or Bed Bath releases a new sale.

Who Actually Owns Bed Bath & Beyond Right Now?

After Bed Bath & Beyond completed its bankruptcy process in July 2023, all of the brand’s intellectual property, website, and remaining inventory was sold at auction. Many large retail chains did place bids, including Target, Walmart, and yes, even Kroger placed an early exploratory bid.

The winning bid came from Overstock.com, an online home goods retailer, which paid $21.5 million for the full Bed Bath & Beyond brand. Overstock completely rebranded its own public facing website to use the Bed Bath & Beyond name and logo in September 2023.

As of 2025, the ownership breakdown for the Bed Bath & Beyond brand is very clear:

No other companies hold any partial ownership, licensing rights, or profit sharing agreements for the Bed Bath & Beyond brand at this time. Overstock has stated publicly they have no plans to sell the brand any time in the next five years.

What Brands *Does* Kroger Currently Own?

One big reason this rumor sticks around is that most shoppers have no idea just how many brands Kroger actually operates. The company is not just a grocery store chain—it is one of the largest retail holding companies in the United States, with over 40 different retail, grocery, and lifestyle brands under its umbrella.

Kroger has been aggressively expanding outside of traditional groceries since 2020, specifically targeting home goods, pet supplies, and personal care categories. This expansion strategy is exactly why people assume they bought Bed Bath & Beyond.

Some of the most well known brands that Kroger actually owns as of 2025 include:

1. Fred Meyer
2. Ralphs
3. King Soopers
4. Harris Teeter
5. The Little Clinic
6. Home Chef meal kits

None of these brands operate under the Kroger name in most areas, so it is very common for shoppers to visit a Kroger owned store every week and never realize it. The company has also stated it will continue purchasing additional retail brands through 2027.

Have Kroger And Bed Bath Ever Partnered Together?

While there is no ownership relationship, that does not mean the two brands have never worked together on anything. Most large retail chains run temporary cross promotions, and these two are no exception.

Back in 2019, before either brand’s recent major changes, Kroger and Bed Bath & Beyond ran a limited 3 month holiday promotion. Customers who spent $100 at Kroger got a $25 coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond, and vice versa. This promotion ran in 31 states and was seen by over 12 million shoppers.

That single promotion is the only official partnership the two companies have ever had. No other agreements ever existed, including:

• No shared supply chain agreements
• No shared loyalty program points
• No cross brand employee transfers
• No shared product manufacturing contracts

Many shoppers who remembered that 2019 promotion connected the dots when the ownership rumor started. This is an extremely common pattern with viral retail rumors—people remember an old minor partnership and incorrectly assume it turned into a full purchase.

Why Shoppers Keep Confusing These Two Retail Chains

Even after the rumor was repeatedly fact checked, it still resurfaces every couple of months. This is not an accident—there are very specific psychological and business reasons this particular myth refuses to die.

First, both brands built their reputations on being value focused, middle class retail options. They target almost identical customer demographics, have similar price points, and operate most heavily in suburban and mid sized towns across the United States.

Market research from 2024 shows just how much overlap exists between the customer bases:

When two brands serve the exact same people in the exact same towns, it becomes very easy for shoppers to mix up ownership status. Most people do not follow corporate merger news, so they will just accept whatever rumor they hear first from someone they know.

What This Means For Future Retail Acquisitions

Even though this specific rumor is false, it tells us a lot about how the retail industry is changing right now. Shoppers expect big grocery chains to start buying up home goods, clothing, and electronics brands, and that expectation is not wrong.

Kroger has publicly confirmed that they are actively looking to acquire a major national home goods brand by the end of 2026. They just have not selected which one yet, and Bed Bath & Beyond is no longer on the list of possible options.

Over the next three years, industry analysts predict we will see:

1. At least 3 more major home goods brands get purchased by grocery chains
2. 70% of new grocery stores will include full home goods departments
3. Traditional standalone home goods stores will decline by 22%
4. More ownership rumors will spread faster than official news

This means rumors like this will only get more common going forward. Every time a retail brand files for bankruptcy or announces layoffs, you can expect dozens of unconfirmed acquisition claims to spread online within 24 hours.

At the end of the day, the answer remains simple: Kroger has never owned Bed Bath & Beyond, and there are no current plans for that to change. This rumor spread because of unfortunate timing, overlapping customer bases, and a general confusion about how modern retail ownership works. Every year, more and more familiar brands get bought by large holding companies, so it makes sense that shoppers are suspicious.

Next time you hear a retail ownership claim online, take 60 seconds to check official company press releases before sharing it. If you found this breakdown helpful, share it with anyone you have seen asking this question, and bookmark this page for the next time a viral retail rumor pops up on your feed.